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- Yesterday
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
Music Blogs I Follow (& recommend) Part 2: D-M
daily observations “classical music insights” Charles Noble is the Assistant principal violist of the Oregon Symphony. He blogs about his experiences with the orchestra, as well as his deep love…
- December 20th, 2009
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
What Would You Do? – Janina (#9)
I hope you enjoy this series of fictional scenarios about teaching music, and find it at times thought-provoking, familiar, and even humorous. We look forward to reading comments by yourself and oth…
- December 19th, 2009
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
Teaching Lessons through Online Video Chat: An Interview with Kathy Parsons
In case you haven’t heard, it’s a WONDERFUL time to be alive and involved in the world of music! With the continual advancements in technology, the way that we create music, share it, and te…
- December 12th, 2009
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
Let ‘em Play, Let ‘em Play, Let ‘em Play
After hearing Mannheim Steamroller’s first Christmas album (quite a while ago), I have been a huge fan of creative arrangements of holiday music. From “Jingle Bells”, to “Deck…
- December 9th, 2009
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
2010’s Coming… Are You Ready?
As the year draws to a close, most studios will be turning their attention to tax time. But there’s a lot more you should do before turning the page to 2010. You’re already reviewing y…
- December 8th, 2009
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
No Title
I have not long completed my Honours Dissertation at the Conservatorium of Qld, Australia. Part of my dissertation was a study aiming to discover how much diversity we might expect to find in learning…
- December 4th, 2009
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
Tips on Invoicing
Invoicing is a tremendously useful part of Music Teachers Helper. But it can be confusing. Here’s a tour through the way one teacher (that’s me!) makes use of the invoicing system R…
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
Software Review: Jayde Musica
In one of my recent blogs, I reviewed a program called “Eek Shark”, designed to help young children learn how to read music. (For more info, see http://www.musicteachershelper.com/blog/software-…
- December 1st, 2009
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
Schedule Events Quickly on MTH With an Add Event Bookmarklet in Firefox
It’s that crazy time of the year for music teachers when students are getting sick, canceling, rescheduling, and requiring extra lessons before that upcoming festival or studio recital. If you&#…
- November 30th, 2009
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
Handmade Game for Songwriters
Last month I taught you how to make a music game out of checkers. This month, I want to share an idea that can be used both in your lessons, and as a nice gift for a songwriter or fellow teacher. I c…
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
What’s New in November
As we’re now moving into the holiday season, we hope you’ll enjoy some of our latest updates to Music Teacher’s Helper. Over the next few months, we will be introducing some major im…
- November 29th, 2009
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
Got Rhythm?
I’d like to share some ideas that work well as ice breakers or to brush up on rhythm skills in group lessons and workshops. I’ve even used them to kick off my teacher workshops, and t…
- November 26th, 2009
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
Creative Christmas Carols
It’s that time of year again, when all my students are begging to play Christmas carols. If your students are anything like mine, they start requesting carols around October (possibly coincidin…
- November 22nd, 2009
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
Music Blogs I follow (& recommend) Part 1: A-C
A Liberal’s Libretto “A Liberal’s Libretto is the place to look for news, commentary and real-life stories related to the ARTS and POP CULTURE.” 2-4 posts daily. “Ame…
- November 20th, 2009
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
2 simple games for the ‘overly’ excited student
I am currently teaching two very enthusiastic 8-year old boys. They are in their first year with me and, to my knowledge, piano is their first instrument. They are unique in that they both are son…
- November 17th, 2009
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
Turn Your Studio Announcements Into a Blog for Students and Parents
One of the ongoing challenges of using Music Teacher’s Helper is getting students and parents to regularly login to their teacher’s site and make use of the student-only features. The sol…
- November 15th, 2009
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
Unique Neighborhood Venue
Recently, our neighborhood in suburban Denver enjoyed the grand opening of the “Streets of Southglenn”. Once a mall, it is now a village of specialty shops, restaurants, flower-pot-adorned…
- November 14th, 2009
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
Drama Exercises for Singers
Singing is unlike any musical instrument in the world. Not only is our instrument a part of our body, but we are able to synthesize music and text in one. For centuries, composers and librettists…
- November 11th, 2009
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
Too Much Practice!?
I read recently where it takes some 10,000 hours to become the master of a skill. Of course it’s a given we’re not talking about bussing tables here; and I ought to know. You see back wh…
- November 9th, 2009
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
Introduction to Group Workshops
As I prepared for another season of teaching earlier this Fall, I was trying to think of ways to foster community among my students while at the same time allowing prospective students to become famil…
- November 4th, 2009
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
Student-centred pedagogy
The term student-centred pedagogy alludes to the student being the teacher’s main priority, rather than the music that is being taught. It’s main objective is for teachers to become increa…
- November 3rd, 2009
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
Cognitive Thinking
Cognition:“The process of thought“. On several occasions I have had a student ask me to teach him to sing while playing. This task seemed impossible for the student(s), I explained that t…
- November 2nd, 2009
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
Tip for Arizona Teachers (or others not using DST)
MTH, fabulous website that it is, doesn’t yet support Arizona not using Daylight Savings Time. This morning, when I went to reconcile my lessons, some weren’t yet showing. I had forgot…
- October 30th, 2009
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
Skill Upgrades for Music Teachers
Yesterday evening I attended a training session for district treasurers sponsored by the Ontario Senior Secondary Teachers’ Association, the union that I belong to as a faculty member of the Roy…
- October 28th, 2009
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
Theft, Fire, & Damage…are you prepared?
I am very sorry to say that one of my students had his PA system and bass rig stolen recently. The value of all the stolen equipment was well over $10,000. It was all stolen from his trailer in hi…
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
Updates in October
Hello music teachers! We’re happy to announce several new updates this month, as well as some announcements. Thank you for your great feedback. We get so many comments about how much you love th…
- October 25th, 2009
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
Easy DIY Music Games
I’m really big on music games in my lessons. I find they can be even more effective than music theory worksheets, because the student is so engaged in a fun activity. It’s easy to turn com…
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
Improvisation in Bloom!..Part Two
(Improvisation Journals, Budding Ideas, Blossoms and Bouquets) Last month I talked about students making improvisation journals to jot down their musical ideas. Paralleling the creative process to st…
- October 23rd, 2009
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
Upgrading from Windows XP Pro 32-bit to Windows 7 Pro 64-bit version
After reading strongly positive reviews of Windows & from techies this spring, I eagerly pre-ordered my copy of Windows 7 Professional. Those of you who know me, know that I got a new computer i…
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
Looking For More Authors For Our Blog
Do you have a passion for music, teaching, or writing? Do you have experience and insight you’d like to share with other music teachers across the world? Do you want to make yourself known in the mu…
- October 16th, 2009
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
Using the Google Calendar sync
Are you using the feature that syncs our Music Teachers Helper (MTH) calendar with Google Calendar? I’m sure I’m not alone in being interested to hear how you are making use of it. Pleas…
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
Sheet Music Transcribing: A Source of Additional Income for Music Teachers
I have the pleasure of dipping my feet into two different worlds of music on a daily basis: The world of teaching, and the world of performing & recording. It is within the latter, the world o…
- October 15th, 2009
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
Piano Marvel - Let the computer teach
My six year-old daughter has recently been using a program called Piano Marvel to learn to play the piano. Piano Marvel is very professional, but fun software that teaches anyone (not just kids) how t…
- October 13th, 2009
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
Preparing the Studio for Flu Season
Whether you teach out of you home studio, community conservatory, or in an after school music program, your teaching environment can become a germ magnet this flu and cold season. Here are some tips…
- September 29th, 2009
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
What’s new in September
Alright, if you follow us on Twitter you probably stay pretty up to date on the latest improvements we’re making to Music Teacher’s Helper. But it’s still nice to see a list of every…
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
Budgeting Basics for the Self-Employed Music Teacher
With recession drawing to a slow close, many small business owners and individual contractors withvariable incomes are asking “How can I get better control of my business finances so that a future…
- September 25th, 2009
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
Improvisation in Bloom!
(Part One-Improvisation Journals) “How do I get really good at improvisation?” a student will ask me from time to time. Most successful artists practice their craft daily. Think about any…
- September 24th, 2009
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
- September 23rd, 2009
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
Software Review: Eek! Shark
Very young children sometimes have a difficult time learning how to read music. Their attention is diverted from the sound the instrument makes (and the physical act of making that sound), to trying…
- September 21st, 2009
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
- September 20th, 2009
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
- September 18th, 2009
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
- September 17th, 2009
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
REVIEW: Teaching Private Voice Online via Ashbury Music Hall
This week I taught my first lesson on the Ashbury Music Hall website. Musician David Gottesman has come up with a way for private studio teachers to reach out to students who want to have lessons, but…
- September 12th, 2009
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
Do You Teach students with ADHD?
Do You Teach students with ADHD? Here’s how you can get the best out of them and turn their behaviors around! ADHD or the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder……As music teachers…
- September 10th, 2009
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
Save Studio Management Time: Bookmark the Most Commonly Used MTH Pages
Early to mid-September is one of the busiest times of the year for music teachers. In my own studio, I’ve been keeping track of new students, departing students, juggling lesson times, interview…
- September 9th, 2009
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
- August 31st, 2009
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
Making the Most of “Potential Student” Interviews
This morning I had a “meet the potential student” interview. You know these types of appointments. The parent brings their child to your studio to meet you and to discuss the possibility o…
- August 28th, 2009
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
Update Summary for August
It’s been a good month for Music Teacher’s Helper. With the school year starting, music teachers everywhere are thinking about the best way to run their studio for the coming year. And m…
- August 26th, 2009
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brandags has posted a new entry on: Music Teacher's Helper Blog
Sing Legato!: A Review
I’m always on the lookout for new vocalizes to use with my beginning to intermediate voice students, but little did I know that a valuable resource was right under my nose! While singing with the St…
